Thank you . It’s good to be here again. Hay River has become a familiar and welcome stop for me over the last four years.
The Hay River Chamber has provided valuable input on many economic matters and I thank you for that – and for the invitation to address you, again, this afternoon.
As I join you today, MLAs Groenwegen, Bouchard and I are in the final months of our elected mandates.
Good afternoon elders, Grand Chief Erasmus, Chief Daniels, Chief Nitsiza, Chief Arrowmaker, Chief Wedawin, my MLA colleagues, ladies and gentleman.
It is my pleasure to be here today as Premier and Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations to take part in the celebrations for the 10th Anniversary of the Tłįchǫ Agreement.
Creating a strong, sustainable and prosperous Northwest Territories build on partnerships has been a priority for the 17th Legislative Assembly and Government of the Northwest Territories.
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Good afternoon.
This technical briefing supplements today’s announcement of a funding partnership between the Governments of the Northwest Territories and Canada to deliver the NWT Highway Capacity Upgrade Project, valued at $96 million.
This afternoon, we heard the Government of Canada is contributing $72 million, that’s 75% of the cost to reconstruct identified sections of the NWT highway.
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Thank you and good afternoon. It is a pleasure to welcome Parliamentary Secretary Dr. Collin Carrie to the Northwest Territories and to Yellowknife. We know that he has a very busy week ahead of him and I am sure he will receive a warm welcome in all the communities he visits. I would also like to recognize my fellow MLAs.
Good Morning distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
It is a pleasure to be here today to speak to you about the Northwest Territories, land of the midnight sun, and spectacular Aurora borealis. A land with massive oil and gas reserves in a wilderness without apparent end. A land that holds great significance for the rest of Canada; not only by responsibly developing the enormous resources but by embodying that very place your conference is about, the Arctic Border.
Thank you for joining me, whether here in person or via telephone, for this media update.
I am here to talk to you about the 104th Annual General Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada – or CMEC, for short. I am very proud to be able to host delegates from all over Canada over the coming days.
Mr. Speaker, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission will be holding its closing events from May 31 to June 3 in Ottawa. This is time to reflect and I would like to express my appreciation for the great work accomplished by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The work that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has done in the Northwest Territories and across Canada has been a critical step in the healing process for people suffering from the abuse and trauma of residential schools.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this spring the Department of Justice hosted “Together We’re Better”, a conference on community safety planning, networking and building partnerships. Eighty people from across the Northwest Territories attended the two-day conference in Yellowknife. The focus was on small communities and included Elders, chiefs, mayors and senior community officials as well as Community Justice Workers, Aboriginal Court Workers, Corrections staff, Health and Social Services staff and representatives from NGO’s.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is focused on ensuring opportunities, education and training are available to all residents of the Northwest Territories. As our labour market needs expand, so do the opportunities. The GNWT Population Growth Strategy has a target to bring 2000 people to the territory in the next four years, and ECE is doing its part to contribute to that strategy through one of our most valuable resources – our students.
Mr. Speaker, an equitable and sustainable health care system is one of the priorities of the 17th Assembly. One way we can support this priority is by improving the management of pharmaceuticals.
Mr. Speaker, to date, provincial and territorial governments have each made significant efforts to address the challenges and manage pharmaceuticals in a way that maximizes patient health outcomes while contributing to system sustainability.
